Living in Leicestershire, I’ve heard of the National Space Centre but I’ve never actually been. This is mainly for two reasons. Firstly, I’d been told it was better suited to older children and secondly, I didn’t want to spend loads getting in if it wasn’t really going to be fun for my girls yet.
Go go go
So when a friend messaged early one Monday morning to say that not only did they have a toddler takeover event on, but also that children under five were free, I jumped at the chance to go along. I was super impressed with myself and got the three of us from pjs to out the door in under 45 minutes.
The day was fantastic and I couldn’t have hoped for more. As an added bonus, my entry ticket of £15 was actually an annual pass. This means we will be able to return whenever we choose until they start school next September. This is definitely something to look out for if you are planning a visit.
A unique experience
From the outside, it’s iconic structure can be spotted from a good distance and the inside doesn’t disappoint either. We arrived just as a show was about to start and so headed straight for the planetarium. This is something I’ve never experienced before. My girls haven’t even been to the cinema so to watch a educational space cartoon projected across the entire domed ceiling simple blew them away.
Throughout the day there were various toddler friendly activities going on at multiple times and so if you missed one, you could just catch the next one. We had a little wonder around and then headed for the Astronaut Story time. Here a few space picture books were projected for all to see and read aloud.
Picnic anyone?
Afterward, it was lunch and I love the fact that you are welcome to bring a picnic. Many attractions discourage this but here there is even a designated picnic zone. I did actually manage to chuck together a quick lunch for us in my 45 minutes too! There is a lovely cafe serving hot and cold meals and drinks if you’d prefer.
Once we we’re refulled, we took the glass lift up through the centre to the very top where there was lots more to explore. With older ones you could discover so much but even with little ones, we definitely ticked off science from the preschool curriculum for the day.
So much to see and do
After working our way through many interactive experiences, we headed back down to the Sing-a-long-aSpace session. Two lively presenters led us through a number of familiar songs which had been rewritten with a space twist. To finish there were giant bubble machines and a parachute game.
There was an opportunity to meet an astronaut and have your photo taken but we decided to skip this due to the queue. We did sit and watch while we did some space crafts. These mini playdough aliens didn’t make it home but luckily no one remembers.
Don’t forget the magnet!
We ended our day with a trip to the gift shop where I picked up an over priced magnet. (We always get a magnet). I have only just written my top rainy day outings but this is going to need to be added as it would be absolutely perfect. We’ll definitely be visiting again soon.